


What We Hide With Every Lie

by QueenBeeComplex



Series: FANGS - written order  (suggested) [11]
Category: Black Veil Brides
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, BDSM, Bondage, Danger, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Prophecy, Prophetic Dreams, Prophetic Visions, Prophets, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2020-03-04 22:43:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18822256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBeeComplex/pseuds/QueenBeeComplex
Summary: They thought it was over. They thought they could finally be happy. Of course it isn't that simple. Of course the universe won't let Andy have this one thing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided This Feeling In Our Hearts was getting a little heavy and completely off topic, so I split it into this new story so don't be alarmed when you find yourself rereading that.

"Are you sure about this, Andy?"

The singer gave a small whine of protest and wriggled as much as his bindings would allow. "I said I wanna do this, Ashes, stop teasing."

The vampire swallowed, turning his favorite leopard print scarf over in his hands. "If, for any reason, you feel even slightly uncomfortable..."

"I'll tell you to stop. Ashely, I know your rules. I trust you. Now will you please blindfold me so we can do this?"

Ashley exhaled, slowly. "Okay, here." He carefully wrapped the silk over Andy's eyes, tying the scarf loosely at the back of his head. "How's that?"

"Slipping a bit at the top. Tie it tighter."

"Better?"

Andy nodded. "Better."

With a deep breath, Ashley took a step back to admire his handiwork. Andy was tied, standing, to the two posts at the end of the bed. His hands were held up with ropes around the big knob of the spiral point. His ankles tied each to a foot of the furniture. He wasn't suspended, but Ashley had made sure the old four poster bed would support Andy's weight in case his legs gave out. He was facing away from the bed, perfect for Ashley to kneel and blow him, or to kneel on the bed to fuck him.

"Alright, are you ready?"

Andy bit his lip. "Y-yeah." His voice sounded ragged, like it did when Ashley had him on the edge. Already, the younger man's cock was hard and straining.

"Okay," Ashley sighed. He had a bad feeling, but Andy had been begging for a week. He'd finally given in to the request, with some very strict conditions.

With another deep breath to steel his nerves, Ashley reached for the makeshift whip of stiff half-inch black ribbon. Nothing that would break the skin, or likely even leave a lasting mark, but that still came with a bit of sting. They'd tested it on Andy's arm just after making it, so Ashley knew it was safe. He still didn't like it. It felt too much like punishment.

"Come on, Ashes, don't leave me hanging here!" Andy whined.

"Oh, but that's the whole fun of it. Having you tied up, blindfolded, and waiting." Ashley leaned in so he could speak right into Andy's ear. "I love watching you squirm, not knowing when I'm gonna strike."

As he spoke, Ashley dipped the ribbon into the small bowl of warm water, swirling it around so it soaked up a bit of weight. He imagined it must feel like the towels his mom and aunts always smacked him with when chasing him out of the kitchen as a child.

Andy wiggled a bit more. "But I want it, now!"

Ashley growled, right in Andy's ear. "You'll get what I choose to give you when I choose to give it, or you won't get anything at all."

The insolent little singer just whined in disappointment, hanging his head like a good little submissive. It actually made Ashley wilt a bit. One of the things he found made Andy so much fun to toy with was how demanding and insistent he always was.

Ashley circled the bed, water dripping, slightly, from the ribbons. He ran them through his fingers in an attempt to keep them from twisting and clinging to one another. Once he'd finally settled his nerves, and found a comfortable angle just beside the bed from which to swing, he raised the ribbons and brought them down, hard, across Andy's back.

He had expected Andy to scream. That wasn't what concerned him. It was _how_ Andy had screamed. Ashley really didn't process it until he was three or four lashes in.

"NOOOOO!" It was a high, ragged, blood curdling scream. The kind Ashley hadn't heard from the singer since he was captured by the Daethlysk.

"AAASHLEEEEY NOOOOOO!"

Before his higher brain had a chance to think, Ashley had tossed the ribbon whip aside and climbed up onto the bed. "Andy, Andy, baby, it's me. I'm right here. It's okay."

But the screaming continued and Andy thrashed so much in his bindings, Ashley couldn't get a steady enough hold on the ropes to release him. In a panic, he slipped down to face Andy, reaching out a hand to catch the human's jaw while the other hurriedly pulled the scarf off his head.

"Andy, it's me. It's Ashley. You're okay." The older man had managed to get a hold of his nerves enough to speak in soft tones. "I'm right here, it's me. You're okay. It's just me."

Then Andy's eyes flew open. They seemed a much brighter blue than Ashley remembered. He blinked, hard, to clear his eyes, and then he was staring into the familiar pale blue he was accustomed too.

"Ashley!" Andy gasped.

"Yeah, I'm right here. I'm right here."

Andy's eyes were wide in fear. "Ash..."

The vampire nodded. "Yes, baby, it's me." He reached out, hesitantly, to stroke his lover's cheek. "Can I let you down, now?"

For a moment, Andy just stared, terrified, into Ashley's eyes. Then he gave a short, hesitant nod.

Ashley nodded back. "Okay, this arm first," he started, softly. He reached up, staying in Andy's line of sight, and pulled on the dangling end of the rope that would release the intricate knot. The arm fell, heavily, against Ashley's shoulder.

"Okay, okay baby," Ashley murmured softly. He moved Andy's arm to drape over the other shoulder so he could move around to the other side. "Gonna release this side, now. Try to hang onto me."

He waited a long moment for Andy to nod, then the older man reached for the second strand of rope, pulling until Andy's second hand fell down to his shoulder. Andy's whole body weight fell into Ashley's chest, and with a few murmured inanities, Ashley's arms wrapped around a skinny waist. Then he pressed Andy back against the mattress.

"I'm gonna untie your feet, now, okay?"

Once Andy nodded, the bassist dropped to the floor and hurried to untie each foot, tossing the ropes away and checking for bruising. With the younger man fully untied, Ashley stood to look him over.

Andy was shaking. His entire body shuddered with the heavy, silent sobs and a thin sheen of sweat coated his naked body. He just had the strength to turn himself onto one side and pull his legs to his chest.

"Would you like me to hold you?" Ashley offered in a timid voice, making sure he was positioned so Andy could see his face.

Big blue eyes opened and just stared at him for what felt like forever. Despite how uncomfortable the gaze made him feel, Ashley refused to look away. He maintained eye contact, face contorted into an expression of true concern and care. Finally, Andy nodded.

Ashley moved slowly, so as not to startle the younger man. He settled onto the bed above Andy, then reached down. "I'm gonna pull you up, to me," he murmured. Then his hands closed over Andy's ribs and he slowly dragged the human's lanky body in close so that bony spine nested against Ashley's chest.

"It's okay, baby," Ashley murmured. He kept one hand down around a slim waist while the other soothingly brushed flyaway black hair from Andy's face. "I've got you, baby. You're okay."

They laid there just over an hour, Ashley whispering gentle assurances into Andy's ear and running his fingers through messy hair. Eventually, the shaking stopped. Andy managed to lift his arms enough to wrap strong hands around Ashley's bicep. He clung, tightly, to the older man. Then his own murmuring began. At first, they were so soft and so quick, Ashley couldn't make out the words. But as Andy's body stilled, the harsh whispering could finally be distinguished into words.

"Not Ashley. Please, not Ashley. Not my Ashley. You can't take him. He's my Ashley. You can't have him. Please don't take him."

"Hey..." the older man started, leaning up, slightly, to better look Andy in the eyes. "Hey, no one's gonna take me, baby. I promise, I'm staying right here."

Andy shook his head, rapidly. "N-no you don't understand, " he insisted, clinging tighter to his beloved. "They're gonna take you and I dunno how I'm gonna get you back. They're gonna take you, Ashley. They're gonna... and I can't..."

"Shhhhh." Callused fingers were back to running through Andy's hair. "No one can ever take me away from you, Andy. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

Andy just stared back with wide, terrified eyes. "Th-they-"

"Who, Andy? Who is there that could possibly take me from you? I would fight through hell and back just to stay by your side."

Then the tears overtook Andy, once again. He pulled himself in, tighter, and clung, desperately to Ashley's arm.

With a resigned sigh, Ashley laid back down, pulling Andy in, closer. He hooked a leg around one of Andy's, and then wrapped both arms around his waist. Then he nuzzled into Andy's neck and tried to focus on memorizing every subtle note of Andy's scent.


	2. Chapter 2

Andy stretched with a low groan. He was cold, and his whole body ached.

"Hey, easy." Ashley sat up a bit, helping Andy to sitting as well.

"Hurts," the singer groaned.

Ashley gave a gentle smile and leaned back to look Andy over. "What do you need, love?"

"Water."

With a nod, Ashley stood and hurried to the kitchen, returning moments later to press a glass of water into his lover's shaking hands. He held the cup steady a long moment so Andy could take a few sips.

"Why are you here?" Andy's voice was raspy from crying.

Ashley sighed and grabbed Andy's cigarettes and lighter off the nightstand. "Because," he started, pulling a cigarette from the pack and lighting it. "I'm worried about you. And I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're okay." He held the lit cigarette out for Andy to take.

"I'm fine."

"The hell you are," Ashley countered, grabbing the ash tray and setting it within Andy's reach. "You screamed my name like you were witnessing a murder. Then you curled up in a ball and cried and shook until you passed out."

Andy shook his head. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, Andy. I..."

Some glimmer of understanding filtered through Andy's mind. "Ash, the whipping and the screaming are not connected. Not the way you think. You didn't do anything wrong."

Ashley nodded. "If you're sure..."

"I am," Andy insisted. "Can you grab my messenger bag? And some pants or something?"

The vampire searched his lover's eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "Yeah, of course." He pushed himself to standing and crossed over to the dresser, rifling through a drawer until he came to the pair of soft cotton boxers Andy always liked to borrow from him. He tossed them onto the bed, then grabbed the small black canvas bag from Andy's favorite chair. "Here. Do you need some help?"

"No, I don't need any help," Andy snapped. He put out his cigarette and reached for the boxers.

Ashley just stood and watched Andy stubbornly struggle with the bit of fabric. He managed to get the boxers as high as his knees before turning pleading blue eyes up at his lover.

"Okay. Maybe I need help."

Strong arms wrapped around Andy's torso and lifted him up off the bed enough that he could pull up the undergarment. "Better?" Ashley demanded, setting him, softly, back onto the bed.

Andy nodded.

"Will you let me check you, now?"

A groan. "Must you?"

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Ashley returned.

Andy's eyebrow shot up. "...yes."

"Then yes, you have to let me check you over for injuries."

The human deflated a bit. "Fine," he growled. Then gentle, callused fingers were trailing over his bare skin.

"Your wrists have a bit of rope burn from struggling against the binding," Ashley murmured. "You'll wanna put a bit of cream on that."

"Yeah, okay," Andy responded, absently.

Ashley slowly moved around to look at Andy's back. Several large red welts raised up from the surface of the skin. "Does this hurt?" Ashley asked, gently pressing his finger against the reddened skin.

"Not particularly."

"Alright, well..." Ashley paused, reaching for the antibiotic cream from the nightstand. "Your back already looks better than it did a couple hours ago. It'll probably be healed by morning."

"Mkay." Andy's response was absent. He was already busy digging through his bag for a pencil.

"Do you need anything else, baby?"

Striking blue eyes seemed to boar into Ashley's soul. "Go. Away."

Ashley sighed. "I'm not going to leave you alone. So if I go, Jinxx or Sammi have to be here with you."

"Yeah, whatever."

With a shake of his head, Ashley turned to yank a shirt down out of the closet, pulling it over his head with the kind of force that pulled at his hair a bit. He grabbed a pair of jeans off a shelf, hurriedly pulling those on as well. Then he grabbed his flying vest off the peg beside the door, and threw it around his shoulders.

"I love you, Andy." Ashley caught Andy's chin, forcing eye contact. Once he received a slight nod, he let go, and stalked out of the room.

The vampire grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter and flicked it open. He mashed the 5 speed dial with a bit more force than was strictly necessary.

"Yes, Ashley?"

"Hey, J, are you busy?"

There was a slight rustling on the other end of the phone, then Jinxx appeared through the wall. "What happened?"

Ashley swallowed. "I don't know. We were... And then he started screaming bloody murder. I got him to calm down eventually and then he cried and shook and kept going on about someone taking me? And then he just shook until he fell asleep. He's awake, now."

Jinxx's expression faded from gentle concern, to anger, to outright panic. "Shit!" He turned and made to head down the hall.

"Wait," Ashley insisted, catching the Mystic's arm. "Andy's made it clear he doesn't want me here right now. I'm gonna fly out to Kina's."

Jinxx just nodded, then darted for the bedroom as Ashley disappeared through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me, sir. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted on set."

Ashley rolled his eyes. "I'm on the list." He pushed past the stage tech and approached the set, careful to remain out of the line of any cameras. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked anywhere but at the cliche bedroom scene where his best friend was being fucked. He finally located Kina's on set assistant.

"Hey, man, let Kiki know I'm in her dressing room."

The skinny blond just nodded absently.

Ashley shook his head and wandered off to where Kina's dressing rooms usually were. He let himself in with the key Kina had given him last week, and then tried not to be irritated by all the pink and fluffy in the room as he dropped into the pile of blankets that perpetually inhabited her couch.

"And cut. Thank you, Kina, that was beautiful."

The blonde sighed and pulled herself up out of the bed. "What do we have left?"

The director grinned. "I wanna run through it one more time for some close up shots, then we have a little bit of plot fluff to film."

Kina nodded, stretching as someone pulled a robe up over her shoulders.

"Miss Tavarozi!" The skinny set assistant scurried across the set. "Miss Tavarozi, there's a man in your dressing room."

A thin eyebrow climbed up Kina's face. The woman was known for her piercing looks that could communicate far more than words.

The assistant stammered a bit. "He said to tell you he's here. Tall-ish, straight black hair, tattoos. He was wearing a leather vest. Looked like a biker type."

"That's like, half of my male friends, Mark," Kina stated, blandly.

"He, uh..." Mark swallowed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "He called you 'Kiki.'"

The blonde smiled. "Oh, that's Ashley. He's on my list."

"He's...Ashley?"

Kina just scoffed and pushed past her assistant. She vaguely heard his gasp of "Oh, she scares me," directed towards another crew member as she walked away.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kina leaned against the door frame facing her best friend. "Not to complain, just, aren't you supposed to be having rough, kinky sex right now?"

Ashley leveled a steady gaze at the woman.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Her voice softened and she stepped in, pulling the door closed behind her.

The vampire gave a mute nod.

"Okay, okay. Just a second." The woman stuck her head back out of the door. "Mark. Let Bob know I'm gonna need at least a half hour if he wants another orgasm like that one." Then she turned back, gazing at Ashley with a mix of concern and inquiry. She dropped down onto the couch next to him. "What happened, Ash?"

"He..." There was a pure fear in Ashley's eyes. "I don't know. He was fine, begging for it, even. And then he was screaming the kind of screams I've never heard from him. He sounded scared, Kiki. Like terrified."

"Okay. Okay." Kina's voice was slow and soothing. She pulled Ashley down against her chest, running fingers through his hair. "Did he say anything about it?"

A shudder ran through the bassist's body. "Not really. He cried and shook and kept..." He swallowed. "He kept going on about...saying that someone can't take me? Or something? It didn't make any sense."

Kina pulled a soft white blanket up over Ashley's shoulders. "And when he was coherent, again?"

"He wouldn't say anything. He put up with me fussing over his injuries, then kicked me out." A shudder ran through Ashley's body as Rejection threatened his new, unconsummated bond with Andy. "He kicked me out."

Kina swallowed hard and gently rocked side to side with Ashley cradled against her chest. "I may not know Andy all that well, but I do know that he loves you."

"Then why? Why would he send me away?"

A shrug lifted Kina's shoulders and pulled Ashley's head further up her chest. "Maybe he's afraid. I heard about what happened with the angel. How she left him. That kind of rejection and abandonment can fuck a person up real bad. It makes it hard to trust someone, because you're constantly expecting them to leave."

Ashley shifted to sit up and look into Kina's gorgeous blue eyes. "You sound as if you speak from experience."

With a deep sigh, Kina nodded, then answered the unspoken question. "Grandfather's been parading suitors before me since I could speak."

"But...you've been betrothed to me..." Ashley didn't understand.

Kina shrugged. "Betrothals fall through. People die, or stumble upon their true mate, or a better option presents itself. That's the nature of politics. Mating proposals are organized according to political gain if you're high enough nobility."

Ashley shook his head. "I... didn't know. I'm sorry."

A soft smile quirked up the corners of Kina's mouth. "You were protected from a lot of the more destructive politics simply because your father is Deviant. The protective nature of the Deviant high line caused them to drop a lot of political tradition, like arranged matings and slave keeping, because of how dangerous they can be. Deviant parents don't like to see their children unhappy or suffering."

Ashley was quiet a long moment, fingers lacing with Kina's, thumb lightly stroking across the back of her hand. "Our betrothal was dependent upon a presence of compatibility. I remember that in the contracts."

The blonde nodded, absently. "You have to go back, you know."

"Kiki, he kicked me out."

"Sometimes..." she started softly, "people do things because they're scared, not because they mean them. Andy loves you. He wants to be with you. Why else would he argue so hard with you about literally everything?"

Ashley swallowed hard. "He stopped arguing, Kina. He just told me to go. No fight. Nothing. Just go."

The princess gave a long, slow sigh. "Did you ever think he's afraid you're gonna be mad because he didn't perform, sexually?"

"I don't give a damn about that. It was his idea. He wanted me to-"

"Because it's what you like," Kina interjected. "And I'm sure he gets some enjoyment out of it as well. But he is so young, Ashley. He doesn't know a lot, and he's inexperienced. He probably hasn't ever been in a situation in which he didn't perform."

Ashley blinked. "I never really thought about that."

Kina snorted. "Clearly." She pushed the older man off her chest and stood. "Get up. Go home. Your mate needs you."

The vampire gave a half smile as he rose. "Thanks, Kiki." He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and slipped from the dressing room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, hey, kid. It's okay. You're okay." Jinxx settled on the edge of the bed.

Andy was a mess. He'd started scribbling in his journal with a terrifying speed Jinxx had only ever seen applied to the falling angels vision. His face was tear streaked and his back slick with panic sweat. Whatever he'd seen, it had to have been horrible.

"Prophet Andrew," Jinxx tried in a low voice.

Shocking crystal blue eyes locked on to Jinxx. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but no words came out. After a few long moments filled only by Andy's gasping for breath, he managed to get out a single syllable. "Ash..."

"He's okay, kid. He flew out to Kina's."

Somehow, Andy's eyes managed to grow even wider with fear. "He-he, but..." Andy stuttered. "I didn't mean for him to leave. I just wanted him to stop hovering. And now he's gone and -"

"Going over to Kina's is hardly 'gone,' Andy. He'll come back as soon as he gets his head back on straight." Jinxx reached out in an attempt to comfort the younger man.

Andy pulled away, sharply. "What if he doesn't come back?"

The Mystic's eyebrows pulled in. "Andy, he always comes back to you."

"But what if he doesn't?!" Panic flared in the younger man's eyes, again.

"Andy. Andy, hey." Jinxx's voice was soft and soothing. "Hey, it's okay. What did you See that would make you think Ashley's not coming back?"

Andy's head shook, again, in rapid panic. "H-he... they... And I..." He couldn t form sentences.

Jinxx managed to get a hand on Andy's wrist, pulsing the soothing gentleness of water magic over the surface of pale skin. "Deep breath. What do we need to do?"

The Prophet swallowed, hard. "Call Sandra. Then call Ella. Jake needs extra protection." He let out a shuddering breath. "Then call Elder Ebrues and have a detail sent out towards Skid Row."

"Andy, that's-"

"Daethlysk territory. I know. I told you they're organizing." The younger man snapped his notebook shut and pushed his shaking body to standing. "And do so, quickly. I'm going to my study, and I have a meeting with Salehe in the library in a few hours."

Jinxx nodded a bit. "Do you need anything else?"

Andy worried at his lip ring a moment, and then, "Text Kina. If Ashley makes it out to her, I need him to stay with her."

The Mystic didn't even pretend to know what that meant. He just sighed and extracted his phone from a pocket. He made a quick mental list of who to contact in what order. He was frustrated that Andy hadn't given specifics, and he had a sick feeling in his stomach. A vision that scared Andy like that meant bad shit. One that caused him to order not one, but two separate protective details was even more disconcerting. That one of those details was on an incredibly strong, durable young Deviant vampire meant something bad was going to happen. Having Sandra reinstalled as Jake's guard suggested this had something to do with the slave ring.

The involvement of the Daethlysk people was the confusing bit. Daethlysk, by nature, refuse to organize in any way. Organization of such beings suggested an incredibly strong, dangerous type of dark magic. A magic that could only be wielded by a very skilled sorceress.

It wasn't a pretty picture. It also wasn't a complete one. That scared the young Guardian even more. Andy only withheld details that could put others in danger. The part of this whole situation that really scared Jinxx was how vague his charge was being. Vague meant bad. Vague meant life threatening to all involved. Vague, at times, even meant death.


	5. Chapter 5

"Cut! Kina, you have a phone call." The director's voice was loaded with irritation.

The princess sighed and swung her leg off her partner. "Think you can keep this up for me?" she teased, hand pulling a single long stroke up her costar's cock. Once he'd nodded his agreement, she pulled away and motioned for her stage hand to approach.

"I don't know who this is but they claim to have the authority to ruin my career," Mark stated in a quivering voice.

Kina sighed, eyes rolling in annoyance. "And what did the caller ID say?"

"Um...it was a strange nickname, miss."

"What. Did. It. Say?"

Mark swallowed hard, holding out the shinning pink flip phone. "It said Jinxx, ma'am."

A flash of panic filled Kina's eyes as she snatched the device from her assistant's hands and held it to her ear. "Speak, Mystic. I don't have time for chit-chat."

"Is Ashley there?" Came an almost equally panicked voice down the phone.

"Uh, he left, what, twenty minutes ago?" Her eyebrows shot up and she mouthed Ashley's name in her assistant's direction.

Mark glanced down at his watch, then looked back up at her, nodding rapidly.

"Damnit!" Jinxx swore down the line.

"You wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"

There was a disconcerting pause on Jinxx's side of the conversation. Kina could almost picture him attempting to compose himself enough to voice his fears. Finally, "The Prophet has reason to believe Ashley and Jake are in danger."

Kina's eyes widened. She made eye contact with Mark, again, signaling for him to bring her clothes. "He can't have gotten too far. He isn't flying as fast as he did before..."

The annoyance was evident in Jinxx's voice. "That makes me even more worried. Slower flight patterns make him easier to catch. And he's still struggling with catching his dive maneuver before he hits the ground."

The impressive string of trilingual profanity that fell from Kina's lips caused most of the crew to look up in concerned shock. She began roughly pulling on her clothing, thrusting her phone into the shaking hands of her terrified assistant as the impassioned swearing continued, accent thickening as she shifted from one language to the next.

"Miss Tavarozi, we aren't done, here."

Blonde hair whipped around like a shimmering blade. "This is a family matter. An emergent family matter." She finished pulling her shirt down over her breasts, then began gathering up her hair into a ponytail. "If I don't leave, now, I very well may lose the only family I've ever truly had." With that, she snapped the elastic tie around her hair, snatched her phone back from her assistant, and then stormed off.

"He's gotta be somewhere between here and there. Did the Prophet have any ideas?"

Another pause preceeded the Mystic's response. "You're not gonna like it."

And almost feral growl ripped from Kina's throat. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me where I can find him." She shoved the door to the stairs open and started up them, two at a time.

Jinxx groaned. "The Prophet sent a security detail to Skid Row."

Kina muttered a few choice swear words. "Alright, I'll head that way." She snapped her phone closed and tucked it into the inside pocket of her denim flying vest. Then she shoved through the door to roof. She bolted straight for the edge, vaulting over the waist height barrier and snapping massive white wings out to catch her.

This was one of the rare moments Kina was thankful for her Voltaire lineage. With a slow, deep breath, Kina opened her mind enough to access the fast flying magic that ran through her veins. A shudder ran down her spine as she put on a burst of speed, angling towards uptown. She kept her eyes open, scanning the sky for traces of her best friend.

At first, there was nothing. But she tried not to let that worry her. Ashley flew fast, for a Deviant, on account of the lithe hunter physique he inherited from his mother's side of the family. What did worry her was that she picked up his scent a bit sooner than she thought she should have. He was moving slow. His wings must be getting sore, the muscle having not built all the way back to where it was before the little sorceress bitch had gone boom.

A few more good beats of her wings, and an extra burst of magic, and Kina caught the distinct blue black of Ashley's massive wings. She snapped her wings in and spiraled forwards to catch up. Once she was about even with him in the sky, she snapped her wings back out to glide softly on an updraft.

"Kiki?"

The blonde nodded and motioned downward, asking him to land.

Ashley nodded and snapped his wings in, dropping through the air at an impressive speed. Kina was just about to follow him when, suddenly, a massive mess of rope netting shot up, closing around Ashley like a drawstring bag.

"ASH!" She called, pulling her wings close to plummet through the air. A high whistling sound caught her ears, and the vampiress barely swerved sideways fast enough to avoid what looked like a crossbow bolt. With a few muttered curses, Kina put on a burst of speed in an attempt to reach where Ashley was rapidly plummeting towards concrete with no means of spreading his wings to catch him. But another bolt came speeding through the air at her, this one clipping her calf as she attempted to spiral dive away from it.

"Kina! Just go!" Ashley yelled when he saw his friend had been hurt.

"But," Kina tried to protest.

"I'll be fine!" Ashley's voice was getting further away. "Just go get Jinxx."

With a grimace, Kina nodded, wings extending to catch a warm current of air and carry her softly upwards. She angled herself back towards the apartments and flew forward with every ounce of magic and energy she could muster.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kina?" Sammi reached a hand out the door to steady the vampiress, then pull her inside. "What the hell happened?"

"Ashley," she gasped, bending to check her wounded leg. "They have Ashley."

Sammi's curls bounced. "Kina, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine. They took Ashley. Where the hell is Jinxx? They took Ashley!"

"Kina." The Mystic's voice was slow and deep as he stepped through the wall. "I can't help if you don't stop screaming. Sit down. Let my fiancee tend your wounds. Then take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Big blue eyes blinked several times at the guitarist. "Ohkaay," Kina managed, shakily, as she lowered herself onto the wooden bench that rested against the wall beside the door.

Sammi knelt to carefully inspect the wound. "What did this?" Deft fingers caught a trickle of blood.

"Crossbow. They tried shooting me down after they got Ash."

Jinxx busied himself with the impressive medical kit he'd begun keeping around as habit thanks to Sandra's chosen line of work. "Got Ashley, how?" he hazarded, passing a cotton gauze pack and some alcohol to Sammi.

Kina swallowed hard. "They launched a net out. It got tangled in his wings. He isn't moving fast enough yet for dive evasions." Her head shook a bit as she spoke, bright eyes wide with fear.

Without allowing his voice to shake, Jinxx held eye contact with the vampiress and asked, "where?"

There was a sharp intake of breath. "I-I don't know. Somewhere over between San Julian Park and Wall Street? It was dark and it all happened so fast..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Jinxx allowed his voice to drop into a calming tone. "That's good. We know where to start. You did good." Then he leaned down to press a soft kiss to the top of Kina's head. Then he made eye contact with Sammi.

"I think we can manage this for a few minutes while you go update the council and the Prophet." There was a warmth to Sammi's voice that seemed to ease everyone's nerves. It took Jinxx a moment to remember that Active Voice is a part of all Luminescents' power pool.

"Wait," Kina interrupted. "Just... keep me posted. As soon as I'm patched up I'm pulling together my own search party."

The Mystic pursed his lips as he turned back to face her. "Kina..."

A thin eyebrow shot up. "Oh, don't even. I have the resources. I'm Voltaire, remember?"

"Exactly!" Jinxx snapped, voice raising slightly. "You're Voltaire. You're not just Voltaire, you're the only direct heir to the throne. You can't go out there. You're not just putting yourself at risk, you're putting your entire high line and about sixty others at risk. No. You stay here. You wanna pull together a search team, fine. But you stay here, before your recklessness causes a civil war."

Blue eyes blinked back in shock. Kina's mouth opened and closed a few times in search for words. "But it's Ashley..."

"I know." The guitarist allowed his posture to soften again. "And we will find him. We will, I promise. And you'll be the first person I call when we do."

"Second."

"I'm sorry?"

The blonde took a slow, deep breadth. "I'll be the second person you call. If you call me before Andy you'll start a civil war." A small smile turned up the corners of Kina's plush lips at the attempted humor.

Jinxx couldn't help but grin a bit as well. "Right, you'll be the second person I'll call." He nodded slightly, then turned and walked back through the wall into Andy and Ashley's apartment.

"What happened? Did they find him? Is he okay? What's going on?" Andy's onslaught of questions met Jinxx as he stepped into the kitchen.

The Mystic took a breath to settle his nerves. "Kina's here. She's injured. Silver-tipped crossbow bolt to the calf. Sammi's stitching her up."

"But..." Andy started. "If Kina's injured, then..."

"They got Ashley, yeah, " Jinxx finished. "I know. She told me approximately where the attack was. I gotta...make some calls." Then the mystic turned down the hall, phone in hand.


	7. Chapter 7

"Tell me this isn't gonna be the rest of my life."

Jinxx groaned and sat forward a bit in his chair. "If you keep going over every scenario in your head like this, you'll go crazy, kid."

Andy cleared his throat. "No I mean... this is twice, now, I've been stuck in a room waiting to hear if my mate is gonna survive."

"You think he didn't feel the same way?"

"Yeah, but at least Ash can come after me. I'm just stuck in the dark praying I'll have vision so I'll know something."

"Or you could, I don't know, have faith in the system?" Jinxx suggested.

Blue eyes rolled in annoyance. "The system sucks."

"Andy, we've been over this," the Mystic started. "Your protection is the highest priority. You are necessary to the supernatural inner workings of this world. No you, no warning before things get bad."

"Yeah yeah, I know, the fate of the world on my shoulders, blah blah blah. Have you any idea how useless my power actually is? When I see something, I can't do shit about it. Sure, I can warn people, but it's still gonna happen. I'm a glorified record keeper."

Jinxx's head tilted a bit. "Come on, now. Don't be so hard on yourself."

The prophet snorted, dismissively. "Have you ever actually thought about the full extent of my powers? Because I have. Salehe has. Every other prophet in existence has. I know, because I've read their journals. I also know most of them have tried explaining this to their guardians to no avail."

"Andy..."

"No, damnit, Jinxx! We are in a unique position, here. You're not just my guardian, you're my friend. So, as my friend, I'm begging you to fucking listen to me."

Jinxx's lips pursed, but he gave a slight nod.

"Thank you," Andy sighed. "My powers make me feel useless, Jinxx. I close my eyes at night, and instead of sleeping peacefully, I'm witnessing horrors you couldn't imagine. What you people constantly fail to understand is that I have no control over what happens. Whatever I see is what's going to happen. I can't stop it. I can't change it. All I can do is clean up the mess afterwards."

The guitarist bit at his lower lip in consideration. "What about the one you had of Sandra, right after we met?"

Andy shook his head, eyes cast to the floor. "Dreams like that, where I have foresight to prevent a death, are few and far between. And when they do come, the time I have to prevent further harm is extremely limited. As I said, I'm a glorified record keeper."

"That doesn't mean you're not important. There are only three living prophets, Andy."

A tongue flicked out to wet Andy's lips. "You're confusing rarity with importance."

"The world needs Prophets! To protect it -"

"From what?" Andy interrupted, throwing himself to standing. "Destruction? Do you know why Maxim is so damn angry all the time? It's not because he's old and Russian and waiting for another 100 year old asshole to die. It's because, for years, every night when he closed his eyes, he watched Japan explode into a mushroom shaped ball of fire. Over and over and over. He informed his guardian, he wrote it down, he followed all the rules, he trusted the system. Then one morning he woke up and picked up the newspaper, and there, on the front page, was the image he saw flashing behind his eyelids every night. He trusted the system, and thousands of people died, anyway. He trusted the system, and people still suffer extreme health issues due to radiation. He trusted the system, and the system failed. And that's when he realized that once he sees something, it can't be stopped. That's when he realized that the reality of being a Prophet is that we are no more than a means for the Majik Council to manage the affairs of the world."

Jinxx stared back at the boy, dumbfounded. "Andy..." he tried.

"Look, I've accepted my position. I've accepted that I'm merely a pawn in supernatural politics. An important, vital pawn, but a pawn nonetheless. But it's about damn time you Majiks with all your superpowers and superiority actually tried to do something to help. Either that, or accept the fact that I'm really not all you've built me up to be, and let me go do something good for once."

There was a slow sigh as Jinxx pulled the silver guardian signant ring from his left forefinger. "Come here," he demanded, softly.

Fire blazed in Andy's eyes. The defiant, punk rock part of him that lived for thwarting authority wanted to spit in Jinxx's face. The prophet part of him that wouldn't rest until all his questions were answered made him take a stumbling step forward. Jinxx took his hand and shoved the ring against Andy's palm.

White flashed in Andy's eyes just like when a vision took him. Suddenly, he was standing in what looked like the 12th century Majik Council Chamber. He remembered a sketch of it from an old history book he hadn't opened in years. The scene seemed to explode around him. Vampires with fangs and wings brandished. Majiks with wands and blades at the ready. Beings with black smoke billowing from their fingertips. Angels wielding staffs of light and stardust. Demons with claws extended and eyes wide in panic.

Then the noise hit. The bright notes of angrily singing sirens wove in and out between harshly spoken spells and terrified profanity, all of which was almost drowned out by the wail of a banshee. It was chaos, a cacophony of unheard voices demanding, pleading, begging. the roar was deafening, desperate.

A hush settled over the room as a woman robed in all white slowly made her way into the center. "Enough, all of you."

Many eyes blinked, expectantly, towards her. She only responded with a soft smile, one hand reaching up to twirl around a wisp of silvery hair.

"I have seen what you all have endured. Fear not. Tomorrow is a new day, a chance to start again. What has been lost shall be restored. What was stolen, replaced. But not so long as the fighting continues. With peace comes bounty. With understanding comes cooperation." She shifted a bit, turning herself as she spoke so as to address everyone in the room. "We cannot change the past. We cannot control the future. All we can do is make a decision with the information at hand. Your options are simple. Speak to one another with respect and decorum, or watch this entire world burn like the last."

Andy swallowed hard as the image faded. "What?"

Jinxx gave a sad smile. "The act of imbuing objects with memories should not be lost on you." Jinxx pulled the ring away, slipping it back onto his finger.

"What the hell was that?"

"The first recorded Prophetess," Jinxx responded. "I'm sure there were some before her, but she was the first one on record. She is the reason Prophets are kept with the Majik people rather than in monasteries. She is the reason you are so important."

Andy shook his head a bit. "I don't understand."

Jinxx sighed, settling back into a chair. "The Prophet is the only true neutral in existence. Your job, politically, is to help manage a balance between races. You keep things fair. You keep this entire world from collapsing around us. And yes, you see the future. Maybe it can't be changed, but we can prepare for it."

There was a heavy silence between the two men. Finally, Andy asked, "but what's the point? Why should I care? If I can't actually prevent anything, why bother trying?"

Jinxx sighed. "The nuclear blasts weren't prepared for, properly. That is on us, the Majik people. When Maxim told us, we logged and reported it, did all the things we were supposed to do. But," and he swallowed hard. "We believed the vision was farther into the future than it really was. We believed weapons like that didn't - couldn't exist yet. We thought we had at least another 20 years to prepare. We only had one. One year, after his first reported vision, nuclear bombs were dropped over Japan. We made a mistake. A miscalculation. We assumed the humans were years from designing such a weapon. We were wrong. And we didn't do everything we could have. We didn't do anything at all."


	8. Chapter 8

Ashley's eyes opened slowly. It took a moment for the view to clear. The first thing he was aware of was that his chest burned. Then he felt the tightness of leather straps across his wrists. That didn't bode well.

He glanced around the room, taking in the high ceilings and dim lighting. Gothic architecture was always an annoying cliche. Focus returning, he set his sights on his captors, all of whom were currently too busy arguing amongst themselves to notice him. If he could just get one hand loose...

There was a chain hanging from an iron collar fastened around his throat. If he moved his head, the chain would pull and the clinking noise alert his captors. He suddenly found himself grateful for the high arching windows as the darkness outside provided him a reflective surface through which to assess his situation.

His captors, which he'd finally identified as Daethlysk by the rotting stink surrounding him, had stripped him down to his boxers, and even pinioned his wings back in rather tight birchwood braces. The center of a wooden X pressed hard to his chest while each limb was strapped and padlocked to the beams. These idiots might actually know their shit, if the raw soreness of Ashley's skin where it touched the wood was anything to go by. Silver birch was just toxic enough to vampires to disable even a strong one. And with the severe injuries Ashley had suffered last year, he wasn't exactly strong at the moment.

With a resigned sigh, the vampire let his head drop. No point trying to fight at the moment. He was too carefully bound. If he feigned unconsciousness long enough, however, he might just manage to trick one of his captors into coming closer to investigate. He just needed them close enough to sink his teeth into. It wouldn't taste good, and he'd be vomiting for several hours at least, but it would provide him the opportunity to release his bonds and escape.

He kept one eye slightly opened and trained on the window. The arguing had stopped, abruptly, and the only sound echoing off the high ceilings was the click clack of high heeled shoes. High quality ones, at that, given the soft rubbery muffle on the heel. Then the source came into his line of vision.

Ashley barely managed not to vocalize the stream of curses that flooded his thoughts. Dark skin, a tightly corseted waist, and beady black eyes reflected in the window told the Vampire all he needed to know. For fear of being detected, Ashley let his eyes fall closed and relied only on his ears to monitor the situation.

"When I say to handle a situation, I don't mean go off half cocked and kidnap vampire nobility! And fiance to the Voltaire Princess, as well. Have you gentlemen lost your damn minds?"

There was a quiver in the responding voice. "We didn't know, Miss. We've been watching the group, and he's become rather close with the Mourner."

"He's easier to catch than the others, who are whole and cannot fly," another voice added.

There was a pause, and a slight tap and squeal as the woman turned on a heel. "You think him unwhole?"

"He is not yet fully recovered, Miss," the first voice added.

The other spoke up again. "His speed is not what it once was. That is what the halfblood said the last time I trailed the pair."

"Hmm..." A slight tapping filled the silence as the woman thought. "You expect me to believe this is the same idiot who threw himself in front of my blast?"

"The very same, miss," another seemingly terrified voice responded.

With a little huff, and the soft click clack of heels, the woman approached. "And, here, I thought you were dead," her sickly sweet voice cooed. A slender finger traced along Ashley's jaw line. "You must be one hell of a man to survive a suicide blast. The princess is a lucky girl, indeed."

Ashley struggled to take slow, measured breaths in his attempt to maintain the charade of sleep. Having the sorceress that almost killed him so close made that rather difficult.

"But, how have you managed to heal so quickly? Certainly, not on your own." Heels clacked as the sorceress began pacing up and down in front of Ashley. "Of course not. You had help. You and that little band of yours."

Ashley's breath hitched.

"Oh yes," the sorceress responded. "Unlike my followers, here, I've actually done my research. Interesting, to say the least. I just had to know where my Mourner went. To find him surrounded by such an odd mix of beings...well, that was unexpected."

Ashley swallowed, hard. The sorceress had a low, seductive drawl and it was all he could do to fight the sway of her voice.

"A Highline Vampire slated to take on Lord status within a few years, no wonder you survived my blast. And your Halfblood cousin, well, she certainly made quite a mess of things for a lot of people." The clicking of her heels thrummed like a metronome, luring the Vampire into her voice. "A Mystic, who is surprisingly powerful for one so young, and courting the daughter of the Mystic Elder Councilman. Bold, indeed. Oh, and of course, your little fiancee, the only heir to the Voltaire thone. The only piece that doesn't seem to fit this puzzle is the human boy."

There was a harsh clinking sound as Ashley pulled against his bindings. He didn't have the self control to mask his reaction to even the mention of Andy.

"Oh, well that explains it," the Sorceress continued. She stopped her pacing and lifted Ashley's chin with a single manicured finger. "You're in love with the pathetic thing. How... disappointing." The last word was drawn out with a note of disgust.

Ashley just managed to swallow his tongue, though a plethora of unsavory retorts boiled under the surface of his seemingly composed expression. He even was able to keep his eyes their usual warm caramel, rather than the seething dark crimson they could easily have been in this situation.

"I mean, how does a man arranged to be with the future Queen of his kind end up with someone so... simple?" Slender fingers slid through Ashley's silky hair. "Do you find comfort in his simplicity? Does he provide an escape from the impending doom of monarchy?"

Ashley couldn't hold back the low growl that reverberated through his chest.

"Ah, no matter." The sorceress's hand pulled away, and her body pulled back a step. "I just realized, I don't care WHY you like him. I don't need to know. What I do need to know is where your little band of misfits has been hiding my Mourner."

A relaxed sort of smirk fell across Ashley's face.

The sorceress blinked in shock. "Is something funny?"

Ashley snorted. "Yeah, the fact you think I'm gonna tell you anything."

"You will," she said with a startling certainty. Her own maniacal little smirk twitched up the corners of plush lips. "That is, if you ever want to see your little human, again."

"Wow, and I thought you did your research," Ashley drawled.

The sorceress blinked back at him.

"I'm a deviant, you stupid bitch. I'll let you kill me before I ever tell you where any of my family is."

"I know where your pathetic little human is," she commented in an almost offhand way. "I could have someone at his door within a half hour."

Ashley pushed aside his concern. "Even so, he won't answer the door. If he's even still there. My little 'band of misfits' as you call us, have been through quite a bit in the last year or so. We have safety protocols, and backup plans, and backups to our backups." He turned a wicked grin on his captor. "You wanna try and torture the answers out of me? Let's go, bitch."


	9. Chapter 9

Andy jumped, slightly, at the knock on his front door. He stepped up enough to look through the peep hole, then furrowed his brow when he found Jinxx standing on the other side. With an annoyed huff, Andy jerked the door open.

"Is this really necessary? Why couldn't you just-"

Then he registered the figure of Kina standing behind his guardian. "Andy, you know Kina." Jinxx nodded his head in her direction. "She needs a minute."

The blonde rolled her eyes and pushed past both men, crossing the living room to drop into the soft cushions of Sandra's favorite recliner. "Ashley has gotten himself kidnapped," she stated.

"Of course he has," Andy quipped. "So what are we looking at? Crazy fan girls? Crazy homophobes? Crazy serial killer?"

"We," Jinxx cut in, "are looking at nothing. Because neither of you are leaving here without a protective detail."

"It's the slavers," Kina cut in, hair tossing over her shoulder. "The ones Sandra rescued Jake from. They want Jake back, so they're trying to trade him for Ash."

Both Jinxx and Andy turned to her with eyebrows raised. "And how, exactly, do you know this, Kina?" Jinxx's voice cut with a razor edge of irritation.

"Oh, they sent a ransom note." As she spoke, the Vampiress pulled a carefully folded card from her purse.

Jinxx snatched the paper from her. He flicked it open, eyes scanning the words. He had to reread the sentence several times before it made any sense.

Return my Mourner or the Deviant dies.

That was it. No address. No time frame. Just a demand.

"Where did you get this?" There was a note of panic in the Mystic's deep blue eyes that Andy found incredibly disconcerting.

Kina swallowed, hard. "It kinda just appeared in my hands when Sammi was patching me up." She bit at her lower lip. "Can I call in my forces, now?"

Jinxx sighed, but gave a slight nod. "Andy, can I speak to you?"

The singer nodded, slightly, motioning for his guardian to join him down the hallway.

There was an abrupt click and some beeping tones as Kina pulled out and dialed her phone. Then she began speaking in the harsh-edged syllables of Russian, loudly and rapidly spitting out the words.

"So, am I supposed to just pretend I don't know what she's saying, or...?"

The Mystic shook his head a bit. "That's up to you. But this..." He held the note out for Andy to see, teeth grinding and head tilting a bit as he hissed.

Andy scanned the words a moment. "I told you something was wrong." Long fingers carded through the mess of hair at the top of Andy's head, pushing the fringe from his face. "I need my notebook. And I need references on Daethlysk sorcerers."

"You don't think-" the Guardian shook his head. "It was a suicide blast."

The Prophet swallowed, hard. "I read something, years ago, about sorcerer lineage. If it's true for the Daethlysk variety, we could be looking at an unprecedented threat."

"What kind of threat?"

"I..." Andy paused, his mind translating Kina's words as her volume increased in anger and authority.

"Niet! He is your future King, and you will do what is necessary to ensure his safety!"

"King?" Andy mouthed.

"The point, Andy!" Jinxx interrupted.

The young man shook his head. "I don't want to say. Not until I know for sure." He twirled a bit of hair around his finger, agitation setting in.

"Okay," Jinxx conceded, eyes falling shut for a moment. He sighed, trying to shove down the helpless feeling swelling in his chest.

"Jinxx..." Andy started, attracting the attention of his friend. "Kina called him the future King. Is that what Ashley is giving up for me?"

The guitarist bobbled his head in uncertainty. "That depends on how he and Kina choose to handle things after her grandfather passes in a century or so. If you're so concerned, you should as them, yourself."

Andy's mouth opened and closed a few times. "Okay, fine. Fine." He swallowed, hard. "When I'm ready..."

"...no, I want a special operations group sent in. We could be facing down a sorcerer."

"She's right," Andy murmured. "There is a distinct possibility we could be up against a Deathlysk Sorcerer, so be prepared. I will give you more information as soon as I have it."

Jinxx reached forward to rest a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We will do everything we can to bring him back to you."

"I know," Andy whispered, placing his hand over his Guardian's, then pushing it away. "I have work to do. Either relocate Kina or keep her occupied." Then the ridiculously tall, slender figure of the Prophet disappeared through the door of his study.

"I'm going," Kina announced, picking up her coat from where it had been discarded on the couch.

"The hell you are." Jinxx crossed the room to stand in front of the door.

Blonde hair cascaded over Kina's shoulder. "I need to meet with my men before I send them into Daethlysk territory."

"You are the only heir to your grandfather's throne, Kina."

"Exactly," she responded. "Which is why the men and women who are risking death to rescue my best friend deserve to speak to me, in person."

Jinxx's jaw twitched. "At least go with an escort."

"There isn't time."

The Mystic's deep blue eyes deepened to a stony gray. "Either you leave with an escort, or you do not leave at all. I will not be the Mystic held responsible if you end up dead in a ditch. Now, sit your ass down, and allow me to arrange for a protective detail to ensure you make it where you are going quickly and safely."

Kina huffed, chest rising and falling with harsh irritation as she dropped back into the chair. Her arms crossed, and her hair fell into her face. "Fine!"

Jinxx only offered a slight smirk of recognition, then he reached for his phone. He tried not to be irritated by how many times the council chamber phone rang before someone picked it up.

"Jeremy! Hello, boy. What is it?"

"Elder Augustus?"

There was a deep sigh. "Yes, yes. I've taken my council seat back now that you're in charge of Andrew. But no time for catching up. If you're on this line, it must be urgent."

Jinxx swallowed, hard. "Uh, yes sir. The Vampire betrothed to the Voltaire Princess has been kidnapped."

"Ashley? What? Is Andy alright?"

Blue eyes fell closed as Jinxx released a slow breath. "I've been in contact with the Prophet, yes. However, I am with the Princess, and she is as stubborn as they say."

A note of amusement was laced in with the concern in Elder Augustus's voice. "That she is. I'm guessing she's determined to rescue Ashley, herself?"

"Yes, sir. I need a protective detail for her. I've accepted that I can't stop her."

"Alright, kiddo. I'll have one sent out, shortly."

Just as Jinxx was about to offer his thanks, a burst of fire appeared before his eyes, transforming, slowly, into a sheet of paper. Instinct had him reaching out to catch it before it could hit the ground.

A stream of curses fell from the Mystic's lips as his eyes traced the words scrawled in Andy's messy handwriting. He stared at the page a few moments before the echoing of concern from both Kina and Augustus reached his ears. Jinxx gulped and then looked up to make eye contact with Kina.

"The sorceress can jump bodies. She can use any willing female Daethlysk as a host."

"I'll send a tracker, as well," Augustus offered with a heavy sigh.

"Thank you, sir." Jinxx closed the phone and then squared his shoulders to address Kina. "There is no easy way out of this."

"Of course there is," Kina said with a warm smile. "This makes it easier, actually."

Jinxx's eyebrows furrowed. "How so?"

"It's simple." Her head cocked to the side. "I find the sorceress, and I kill her. She's likely somewhere alone and well hidden. Darlethlysk are an incredibly predictable people. I just need a Luminescent trained in tracking."

Jinxx blinked at her in surprise. "That easy? You don't think she'll be guarded?"

A lopsided grin painted Kina's face. "That's why I want a Luminescent, not a Mystic."

Then it clicked. The Daethlysk were a people of darkness. Any mass amount of light would weaken them, significantly. By taking a Luminescent, Kina would be able to simply walk past the guards.

"Go with Sammi. As a Gatekeeper, she's trained in tracking, combat, and active voice. She's one of the best."

"Are you sure?"

Jinxx nodded. "I am. But I swear to the Creator, if anything happens to her, I don't give a damn if you're the last heir to your throne, I will hunt you down and kill you, myself."

Kina gave a bright smile. "I would expect nothing less."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it feels like this story is dragging. I'm really sorry it's taking so long. I am forcing myself to alternate between this series and my Toxic Kiss fanfic because if I don't, I'll continue to neglect TK which is not what I want to do. Anyways, enjoy!

"Salehe! Thank the gods you're here. I need your help."

The older man gave a gentle smile. "Calm down, Andrew, and tell me what is wrong." Though Andy's mind automatically translated the words, the man still spoke in a heavy accent.

"No time," the young Prophet gasped, shoving a stack of books toward his predecessor. "Ashley was kidnapped by a sorceress." He sighed and turned towards the towering library shelves. "Hey!" He yelled down an aisle. "My mate was kidnapped by a Daethlysk sorceress! Fucking help me!"

A low chuckle interrupted Andy's thoughts. "You know abusing the library is not going to help."

Andy sighed. "If I could have sorceress lineage or genealogy, that would be exceptionally helpful," he ground out.

In response, a collection of books and several large scrolls soared from their shelves, stopping to float around the two prophets, awaiting more instruction.

"Andrew, I know you are upset, but you will get nothing out of this if you continue to panic." Salehe settled his armful of books on a vacant table. "Library, clear away any of this that will not help, please. And if we could get some paper and pens, and maybe an extra set of matches for communicating with Andrew's Guardian, that would be helpful, please."

The gentle words worked like magic. An array of colored paper and a cup of pins appeared at the center of the desk, as well as a few extra matchbooks marked with Jinxx's crest. Then books began falling open, corners pinning down the edges of lengthy scrolls depicting carefully arranged family trees.

"See what happens when you are nice to the library?"

Andy only scowled, dropping into a high backed chair and hunching over an open book, scanning the page in mild interest. "How is this helping?"

Salehe settled beside the younger man. "Well, now we have three family trees of sorcerer lineage to start with. These are the only known lines in which the gift was held by females."

Frustration clawed at the inside of Andy's mind. "Okay," he sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "And can they jump bodies?"

"I believe they all can, yes." Dark fingers spread over a page in a book, curiously framing carefully scrawled text. "I know you are looking for answers, Andrew, that will help your friends bring your beloved home." He rested a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you may not find any answers here."

"I still have to try. It's Ashley."

"I know," Salehe responded, softly. "I am just saying to prepare yourself. Not every question has an answer."

Heavy eyelids fell closed over blue eyes. "I can't do nothing," he murmured. Then he reached for a book, leafing through the pages with heightened intent. "I have to try."

"Very well. At least let me help you. What are we looking for, specifically?"

Andy reached for his notebook, flipping through it for the page on which he'd last written. It was a messily jotted list in prophet language detailing the information Andy had about the woman who'd captured his lover.

"White eyes?" Salehe's finger tapped the note.

"Uh, yeah. That's what Jinxx said." Andy's response was absent as his fingertips glided along a row of text.

Salehe stood, biting at his lower lip as he scanned the genealogies laid out before him. One hand lightly moved from name to name in search of answers. "Bring a book on white eyed sorcerers."

One of the books on the table fell open of its own accord. It held a seemingly incomplete list of names, each carefully scrawled in a different distinct hand writing. Each name also appeared to be written in a slightly different ink, and each was less faded moving down the list.

"Is this all?" Andy asked, looking over his mentor's shoulder.

"It appears to be." Salehe took a set of small sticky notes from the paper assortment at the center of the table.

"Okay, read off the names. I'll try to find them in these books." Andy hurriedly reached for an obituary book, a criminal record book, and the most recent census of empowered beings. "We can start with obits. Mark dead with the red flag."

Quickly, the top half of the list was eliminated, and the suspect pool dwindled. By the time Andy reached the end of the obituary collection, their list had been narrowed to just 17 names. It still felt like too much guess work to the young Prophet. He offered only a heavy sigh, snapping the most recent, incomplete volume shut with an unnecessary amount of irritated force.

"Easy, young one. We have made good progress, already."

Andy just tossed the book back onto the table and reached for the next set of books regarding criminal proceedings. "Let's just keep going. We have to find something."

Salehe gave a soft nod and turned back to the list. "Just read. Any mention of a sorcerer, criminal or witness, you tell me."

"Alright," Andy responded with a nod. "Yellow for criminal, green for witness."

After a nod of understanding, Salehe reached for the sticky notes and settled in to listen. Name after name was called off, but so very few of them were featured on the list. With each failed match, the edge of frustration and panic in Andy's voice became more and more obvious. Going through the criminal volumes seemed to take hours, combing through procedural details and legal jargon for only 12 names.

"Take your stupid books!" Andy yelled, throwing the volume in his hand down an aisle of shelves as tears sprung to his eyes. The library lightly caught the book, allowing it to soar back into its place on a high shelf. Andy just collapsed back into his chair, slender body convulsing with angry, terrified tears.

A heavy hand rested on the young man's shoulder. "I know you are scared, young one."

"How could you possibly know how I'm feeling?"

Salehe offered a sad smile, reaching for one of the criminal volumes. With slow, deliberate movements, he flipped through the book to a page slightly past the center, then passed the book down into Andy's hands.

Curiosity piqued, Andy lifted the heavy book to start scanning through the proceedings. He didn't have to look far. In the heading was a name he was familiar with. "Njeri? Your Njeri?"

Salehe nodded. "A faction of Luciferian Fallen learned of my identity. While I was away on mission with my Guardian, they kidnapped Njeri, a few months before we were to be wed. The intention was to force my hand into their service." The older man settled into the chair next to Andy. "I returned home to her father standing at my doorstep. He blamed me for her kidnapping. Said that my desire for her was what put her in danger. And I did not argue. He was right. My existence, my gift, had put the woman I love in danger."

Andy's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"At first?" Salehe started. "I took the offer. My life for hers. She was returned, unharmed, to her parents. I joined the fallen, for a time. Of course, the Majik came for me. I mostly stayed silent during my own captivity. The less they knew, the less destruction they could cause." Gentle hands took the old volume from Andy's hands. "When I made my decision, I trusted that the Majik would protect me. That they would come for me. I know you don't want to here this, young one, but you should trust your Guardian and the council. They will bring your love back to you."

Andy shook his head. "I trust Jinxx. I know he will do all he can. He has, in the past."

"But you still have your reservations about the council?" The older Prophet offered.

"I do, yes." With a deep sigh, Andy sat up a bit. "You trusted that the Majik would come for you. You didn't trust that they would do the same for Njeri." He shook his head a bit. "Ashley is only marginally important, politically. IF he mates to Kina, he will be King. That's a big if, considering neither of them want that. Otherwise, he is a Lord of which there are plenty, and his only significance is what he could possibly be, to me."

"His significance, Andrew, is what he already is. To you, to Mr. Ferguson, to the young Mourner. There was no mistake in having a Deviant mixed into your little group. He keeps you safe, no matter your feelings for one another. He keeps the Mourner safe, as well. This sorceress has no idea what she's gotten herself into by taking him."

A thought flickered through Andy's mind. "She," he murmured.

"I'm sorry?" Salehe's mind, while quite similar to Andy's, was not quite as fast.

"She," Andy repeated, pushing himself to standing. "Where's the list?"

Salehe reached across the table where he'd left the book open to the sticky note covered list. "There's only one female name, left. The others are men."

"Where is she? On the trees, where is she?" The young man ran panicked fingertips over the scrolls, searching for her name. Then he froze. "Corrund."

Salehe swore. "Of all the bloodlines..." He shook his head. "You should inform your Guardian at once."

Andy swallowed hard and nodded, reaching for a matchbook and pad of paper. He carefully wrote along the pale blue lines, "She's a Corrund. Warn Kina." Then with the strike of a match, the paper burned away.

"Now what?" Andy asked.

"Now, young one, you trust that the message reached your friends in time." A comforting hand covered Andy's on the table. "Now, you go home and rest. You have done your part. You have helped as much as is possible. Now, you wait for more information from the front lines. You stay prepared to help more. But for now, you can rest."

A relief washed over Andy that he hadn't expected. He fell back into his chair, breathing deeply for the first time since the vision that caused him to send Ashley away. His eyes fell closed, and before he knew it, sleep overtook him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I update so sporadically. Sorry guys. I have been a bit overwhelmed with this story, not sure how to get to the ending I picture in my mind. So I took a break and played around with some other ideas until the wind of inspiration blistered by again. Anyways, enjoy!

A stream of curses fell from Kina's lips. She just managed to remember a short thanks before snapping her phone closed and throwing it at the earth in frustration.

"My Princess, what is the problem?"

The blonde did her best to ignore the title attached to the question as she turned to address the half dozen highly skilled tactical soldiers of her kind that had answered her call. "The sorceress is a Corrund. You should be prepared for what that could mean for Ashley when you do finally locate him."

All the vampires and the handful of Majik in her circle winced. "What can we do to ensure it does not happen?"

Kina sighed. "Pray Ashley isn't able to get it up without his mate, anymore."

"Lord Purdy is not mated, Princess," one of the vampires - a Lord Dullovan she thought - felt the need to remind her.

"Not officially, but I still consider him my mate, and you would do well not to think ill of your future king." Kina huffed in irritation. "Sammi, Liz, you two are with me. We're going after the sorceress, herself. Leah, my love, if you would be so kind as to stay with the boys? I need someone close at the head of this merry band of misfits if there is any hope of retrieving Ashley before he's forced to produce a bastard."

The dark headed vampiress smiled at her lover's request. "Of course, Princess," she responded, tacking the title onto the end to keep up some semblance of professionalism in front of the others. "We should start at Wall Street. The Daethlysk may have captured him over Skid Row, but a sorceress would aim higher."

"Good thinking," Kina responded with a nod. "Go on, and keep in touch."

Leah only nodded in response. Then she waved her hand for the other vampires and the one Luminescent to follow her out of the park.

With the rest of the rescue team out of earshot, Sammi turned to Kina. "I don't like this."

"Me neither," Kina echoed. "But we have a plan. If we just stick to the plan everything should go just fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

"Neither? Both? I don't know. I just want him back." She ran her fingers through her hair in distress.

"We all do, Kina. It'll be okay. We have a plan." Sammi offered a soft smile and patted the vampiress on the shoulder.

Kina swallowed. "A plan that will be blown all to hell if this sorceress manages to collect what she's after."

"Then we better get going." Sammi nudged her head towards the sky. "Before this gets out of hand."

With a shuddering exhale, Kina shook out her expanse of pale wings, carefully crouched, then launched herself into the sky. Sammi and Liz were right behind her a moment later, bodies floating up into the sky as if gravity had been reversed.

"Okay, think. Daethlysk sorcerers who dabble in necromancy typically suffer delusions of grandeur. But they're also smart." Kina's wings beat steadily, keeping her aloft as she gazed down at the city beneath her.

Sammi pondered for a long moment. "Old money or new?"

Kina could feel the puzzle pieces. She could sense each jagged edge, but couldn't quite settle them all together. "Which part of town has more abandoned areas?"

"In this economy, it's about fifty/fifty."

The blonde nodded, slightly. "Then new money. She would blend better among young millionaires who've just come into their fortune than with the old wealthy families who already know each other."

"So, what? A penthouse?"

Kina landed, carefully, on the roof of a sky scraper. "For her conduit, maybe. That would be a good place to stage Ashley. But she would have her physical self tucked away somewhere more obscure."

Sammi allowed her body to float down so she sat right on the ledge of the building, one knee crossing over the other. "A lot of new money are business owners, right?"

The only response is a pair of blinking blue eyes and slight, nondescript hum.

"What if she's over a shop?" Liz pipes up.

"Yes, but what kind of shop? What sort of business could a sorceress easily disguise in?"

Sammi's lips pursed in thought. "This is LA. What about a sex shop? They're everywhere, and people aren't going to question someone more...eclectic running the place."

"Okay, so how many sex shops are there in the upper east side? I mean, I do Porn, and I haven't been to all of them."

The Luminescent's mind jumps from each piece of information to the next. "Well, Corrund women are notoriously misandristic. Most likely a shop specializing in dominatrix wear?"

Kina let the words sink in, then she reached for her phone, flipping it open and skimming through her contacts.

Sammi's eyebrow shoots up, not in surprise but something more reserved - curiosity, perhaps - as Kina's voice drops low into a seductive drawl, her Russian accent pulling at the edges of her speech.

"Michael, my dear. Tossing around an idea, if you're game?"

The younger woman tapped into her magic to better hear the man on the other side of the phone. 

"Anything for my princess. What's up?"

"Thinking about a fun little dominatrix scene. I know how much you like being bossed about and scolded, thought I'd run it by you?"

Michael's responding laugh was deep, melodious. "Are we talking rope and spanking or whips and chains?"

The corner of Kina's mouth perks up. "Whips and chains, definitely. Maybe even a cock ring and a ball gag. What do you say?"

"I say you should hit up this little shop on 4th. Gigi and I went in just for shits and giggles, but that place is serious. It's run by this itty bitty goth chick who could probably break me in half."

Kina catches Sammi's eye in silent communication. "Sounds good, darling. What's it called?"

"Total Submission."

Liz and Sammi share a telling look.

"Oooh, sexy. I'll have to check it out!" And with a blown kiss and a Russian farewell, she snapped the phone closed.

"Well, the name is fitting." Liz tapped her toe against the concrete of the rooftop.

"Seems as good a lead as any."

Kina began gathering up her long blonde hair into a tight bun. "Alright, well let's go. Stay dark for now, but once we breach, we may need full light to get us past whatever guards she may have."

Liz bit at her lower lip, then, "Do you think she's foolish enough to be without guards?"

"I wish we could be so lucky. No. She's arrogant, but not stupid. She'll have guards. Not as many as she has on her conduit, but she will be guarded." Kina rolled her shoulders, wings unfurling. "Sammi, you're surprisingly quiet."

The blonde shook her head as if to clear it. "It seems too easy."

"You think it's a trap?"

"I suppose we won't know until we get there."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***WARNING: NON-CONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTENT***

Ashley let out another bored sigh. He kept his eyes trained towards the windows, as if the other person in the room was of absolutely no consequence to him. Not even when she touched him to inflict whatever pains might be next did he shift his attention away from the starry sky lit with the occasional blinking light of a plane angling in towards LAX.

"Okay, fine," the woman huffed. Ashley carefully traced the reflection of her movements in the glass window. "Let's try something different." Dark hands enclosed a small vial of blue liquid and a rather daunting syringe fitted with a wooden needle. "If I can't get information out of you, I'll just have to settle for something else."

The vampire swallowed hard, but otherwise didn't react as the needle pushed into the skin of his throat with a sickening pop. Then the lever was depressed, and a cooling sensation pooled in his artery, moving up towards his brain like fog. A curious buzzing filled his ears, causing the sorceress's voice and the clacking of her heels to seem distant and perhaps unreal. Then his vision clouded over as if looking closely through mirrored glass - vaguely clear in the center but dark around the edges.

"Let him down."

The sorceress's voice sounded garbled. Ashley just had the brain power to catch the words. Then he felt hands on his wrists as heavy cuffs were unlatched. An euphoric sense of weightlessness overtook him as the heavy chains fell away. Ashley couldn't suppress the low moan of curiosity that fell from his lips. Then he felt cold marble against his back and all he could make out was the ornate high arched ceiling of the top of the tower.

"Just a little bit further..."

The waist band of Ashley's boxers suddenly were wrapped around his ankles. The Deviant couldn't keep up with the movements of the other person - people? - around him. His mind was moving too slowly, lagging like a bad video game. Everything was blurry. Sounds were distant. He couldn't remember how to use words.

"I wonder..."

The voice was so far away, echoey and made to sound deeper.

"Ndy?" Ashley wasn't even aware of his voice asking for his love. But then, there he was, floating in the periphery of Ashley's vision, hair a riot of black and patchy blonde.

"Relax..."

The voice speaking to him held the familiar velvety undertones of his beloved, but everything still sounded echoey and distant.

"Mkay" Ashley couldn't help it. With his mind so muddled, and the apparent safety of Andy floating over him, the vampire gave in. His eyes fell closed, his mind getting lost in the richness of the voice that he could swear was his love. Who else could it be?

The sudden pressure of a hand closing around his cock made Ashley whimper. At first, in pleasure, a coy little smile perking up the corners of soft lips. Then in confusion. The hand felt far too small to be Andy's.

"...take care of you..."

The sharpness of the syllables was unfamiliar, but the tone still sounded so much like Andy. The bassist shook his head, trying to clear away the fog. He opened his eyes again to unfamiliar surroundings, but still caught the flash of blue eyes, a puff of dark hair, the shadow of tattoos on the hand around his cock. Everything felt wrong, but he couldn't place exactly what was off. He was so dizzy...

"...so good...hard for me..."

In the back of his mind, Ashley considered that Andy was rarely the aggressor. Sure, he'd beg for it - after Ashley had him pinned or wound up. He couldn't remember a time Andy had gotten him off just for the sake of it. The idea of being touched without reason made his mind spin in frustration. Maybe he was just too drunk to remember initiating things. It wouldn't be the first time. How many times did Kina jerk him off and tuck him in just for the sake of getting him to sleep after a blackout binge? Yes, that must be it.

He didn't get to ponder the matter further. The hand on his cock was moving more deliberately now. He was hard. He vaguely sensed the tightness in his belly that told him he was close. "Ndy..."

"...almost there....come on baby...for me..."

A small cry forced its way from Ashley's lips as a wave of pleasure washed over him. His eyes fell closed, drinking in the feeling.

"...perfect baby..."

Ashley moaned. His body began to feel heavy again. He was lifted off the hard surface, held upright. Andy must be taking him to bed. He fell, heavily, into the arms that held him, and then the world fell sideways.


	13. Chapter 13

"I hope you're sure about this. If not, we're breaking about eight different laws, human and Majik alike."

Kina's eyes blazed an annoyed orange. "What do laws matter when my best friend is held captive by a lunatic?"

Sammi rolled her shoulders, glancing between Kina and her fellow Luminescent. "I think Liz is just being especially cautious. This is a very high stakes situation. One wrong move could mean-"

"I know what it could mean!" Kina snapped. Then she took a deep breath, centering herself. "I know. I have seen, first hand, the destruction a Bastard can cause. I know what's at stake. The Voltaire crown, the Deviant highline, and the life of someone I love dearly. I know."

"I'm just making sure, because once I unlock this door, there is no going back." Liz stood with her hand hovering over the door handle.

Kina nodded. "Do it. Sammi, be ready with a light burst. I don't know what's waiting behind those walls."

Sammi nodded. Her fingertips fluttered, drawing magic to the surface but not releasing it. Not yet.

Liz tightly grasped the door knob, allowing her magic to ebb into the mechanism and gently nudge the pins this way and that until the lock gave way. Then she turned the knob and pushed the door open ever so slightly.

"What do you see?"

Liz shakes her head, dark curls bouncing around her face. "I don't...I can't see anything. It's not dark it's _black_.

Sammi stepped forward, allowing the tiniest bit of light to filter from her fingertips. The blackness inside the door seemed to simply absorb it. "I don't like this, Ki," she murmured almost silently.

"It's safe to say we're in the right place, though. This reeks of death magic." Liz appeared to shutter with the words.

"We have to go in." Kina swallowed hard. "I'll go first."

"No. I will," Sammi insisted. She barred her arm over Kina's waist. "If something happens to you, the Voltaire line crumbles." Then she eased the door open and took a tentative step inside.

The air was heavy, dense. That must be what stopped her light from traveling. Instead of fighting her surroundings, Sammi stood just inside the door, still as a statue. She closed her eyes and let her own darkness magic envelope her in a carefully constructed shroud. Slowly, the heavy air began to conform to her body, accepting her as a part of the surroundings, as if she'd always been there. Then her eyes flew open.

She could see shadows. Nothing clear, but she could just make out the silhouette of two high backed chairs, a couch, and a coffee table to her right. To the left, there was an upright piano against the wall, and a long table down the middle of what appeared to be a dining room.

"Take my hand, don't let go."

Kina blinked in surprise as Sammi's hand emerged from the shroud of darkness. Then she reached out and closed her hand over Sammi's, taking a hesitant step into the building. Slowly, the darkness formed around her as well, heavily cloaking her in cold blackness.

"Can you see?"

The vampiress gave Sammi's hand a small squeeze. "Barely. I see shadows."

"Shadows are better than nothing," Sammi responded. "Get Liz."

Kina extended her grabs back for the third member of their party, grasping tight to the slender fingers that twined with her own. She pulled Liz in close, watching as her silhouette became visible through the darkness.

"Visibility sucks," Liz observed.

"Shadows are better than nothing," Sammi whispered back. "Just be careful. Place could be booby trapped."

Liz gave a small grunt of acknowledgement, moving her feet cautiously across the floor.

A low creak echoed through the darkness.

"Sammi, duck!" Kina pulled the other two women down, just as something whizzed over their heads.

"Fuck!"

Another creak, whizz, and a sharp twang.

A soft collection of thuds, like feet on hard wood, thundered closer and closer, louder and louder.

"How many?" Liz hissed.

Kina's eyebrows narrowed as she counted the thuds. "Three. One has a limp."

"Do you think, now we're inside, we can light this bitch up?"

Sammi pushed on the darkness around her. "It's worth a shot, but we better have a backup plan in case it doesn't work."

"Hold still!" Kina snapped.

All three women froze, and the pounding of footsteps paused.

"They can't see us if we  aren't moving." The observation turned out to be a lifeline. Sammi swallowed hard and moved, ever so slowly.

Their aggressors took two more steps.

"How far away are they?" Liz asked.

"Eight feet in front of us."

Sammi swallowed. "I need them closer."

"How close?"

"Five feet? Maybe four? I only have one shot at this."

Kina didn't like the tone of Sammi's voice. "Okay. Let's edge back towards the door, so we can escape if things go sideways."

"Small steps," Liz added. "We all move at the same time."

"On three, ready?" Kina inhaled and then, "one, two, three."

All at once, they each took a step back.

Thud thud.

"Six feet."

Sammi exhaled. "Closer," she gasped, chest heaving with adrenaline.

"One, two, three!" Kina counter again.

Thud thud thud

"Oh gods, I can smell them," Kina whimpered.

"And?" Liz squeezed Kina's hand.

"Daethlysk. I think I'm gonna be sick."

Sammi let go of Kina's hand. "Liz. Get her out of here."

"Come on!" Liz pulled on Kina's hand, dragging her to the exit.

"We can't leave her!"

Thud thud

A shuddering pop broke the dampened quiet created by darkness as shimmering white light exploded from Sammi's chest. Fragments of heavy dark cloud fluttered this way and that like fragments of a popped balloon before dissipating. Then sharp, echoing screams filled the room as the Daethlysk began to burn where the light touched their skin.

Liz released Kina's hand and threw herself back through the door, light pouring from her fists as she approached the three incapacitated guards. The first she simply touched, and his skin melted away. The second tried to reach out and grab her, and she punched out with a fist full of light that embedded in his chest and then exploded outwards. When the third stood, smoke rising from her skin, pain painted across her face, Liz simply tossed a ball of light across the room at her. The female hit the opposite wall, a soccer ball sized hole burnt through her stomach. Then she slid to the floor.

Then, everything fell dark again as Sammi's light flickered out. She staggered forward, just reaching Liz as she fell into unconsciousness. Liz's deft hands caught her around the waist, then bore her gently to the ground.

"I was busy!" A voice interjected from the darkness.

"Kina, that's her," Liz warned. "You should-" Something unseen hit the back if Liz's head, and she crumpled to the floor.

"Leah, move. Now." Kina snapped her cellphone closed and then straightened, facing her opponent.

"It's just you and me, now, princess," the sorceress cooed.

Kina put on a burst of Voltaire speed, moving through the shadows faster than could be tracked by sight.

"I know," the vampiress whispered right in the sorceress's ear.

All the necromancer had the chance to do was gasp in surprise before a sharp knife found it's way between her ribs from the back. Black ooze dripped from the wound, and she fell forward in a heap.

Kina wiped her knife on her jeans, wincing in disgust. Then she stepped forward, watching black gurgle up out of the sorceress's mouth as fluid filled her lungs. "Let this be a message to your kind," she said, leaning down to look the barely conscious Daethlysk in the eye. "Don't ever fuck with my family." Then she kicked the woman's head so it turned around backwards, snapping her neck with a sickening crack.


End file.
